1. Field of the Invention
The present invention lies in the field of sports' equipment which includes a combination watch and timing device, and, more particularly, to ski poles incorporating such a watch or timing device in the handle thereof.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art includes may different types of sporting gear and equipment which comprise a combination of the sporting equipment and a watch and/or timing device.
One such prior art device is shown and illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,786 issued to Jackson on May 1, 1984 which relates to an elapsed time rod and reel apparatus. Such an apparatus provides a convenient means for accurately recording elapsed time between the catching of a fish and the landing of same. This is relatively important in determining the size of the fish on the other end of the line, and for later relating in a proverbial "fish story".
Only two other attempts are known to incorporate a watch and/or timing device in a ski pole handle.
One such attempt is related in the German Pat. No. 180,027 issued Oct. 25, 1954 incorporates a rubber body 2 which includes a receptacle used for elastically mounting the rubber body 2 to the top portion 3 of a ski pole handle 4, a receptacle for receiving a timing device, such as a stop watch 1, and a tether 5 which is used to secure the rubber body 2 to the ski pole handle 4. This invention is simply a holding structure for the stopwatch 1 in position on top 3 of the ski pole handle 4. It does not provide an means for activating or stopping the stopwatch 1 with a minimum of finger movement on the part of the skier and because of the manner in which this invention is constructed it is impossible to operate the timing device without removing a finger from the ski pole handle for the purpose of operating the timing control button on the top of the watch. Further, in the event that the skier should go down, it is clearly anticipated that the rubber body 2 will become disengaged from the top 3 of the ski pole handle 4 because of the existence of a tether 5. Still further, this device does not in any way attempt to incorporate this into the hand grip which is disposed about the handle portion 4 of the ski pole.
The only other device to incorporate a timing device 3 into the handle 1 of a ski pole is that which is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,302 issued to Albrecht on Apr. 4, 1978. Basically, this device includes a chronometer 3 removeably mounted on the top of a ski pole handle 1 by way of a bayonet fitting which so arranges the push button 4 of the stopwatch 3 so that it can be easily actuated by the skier's thumb. However, it would be nearly impossible for this to be actuated by a finger of the skier. Such also provides for an unnecessary protrusion, that is, the push button 4, on the ski pole handle 1 which may be ripped or torn off if the skier goes down during a ski run.
Further, in the prior art shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,302, the viewing position of the face of the stopwatch is so configured that it cannot be easily or readily viewed when the ski pole is disposed vertically in its normal position unless the top of the ski pole is disposed substantially beneath the eye level of the skier which is not usually the case. The present invention eliminates this highly irregular feature by disposing the face of the stopwatch on a rearwardly sloping portion of the mounting in the ski grip handle so that when the ski pole is vertically disposed, the stopwatch face can be readily and easily viewed by the skier.
With any stopwatch controls unprotected, as displayed in the prior art illustrated by the device of U.S. Pat. No. 4,082,302, the stopwatch timing control function can be inadvertently activated since it is not protected because it envisions external activation by the skier's thumb. The stopwatch timing control of the instant invention described further herein is protected and cannot be inadvertently activated. Such a feature is greatly desired for timing skiing runs.
It is because of these many problems found in the prior art and the wide spread desire and need for skiers to measure both the times and durations of their ski runs for the purpose of both monitoring their improvement and location that the present invention was created.